Gillon McLachlan is the CEO of the Australian Football League (AFL) and has been since April 2014.

Gillon was raised in Mount Pleasant, South Australia, and is the eldest of four brothers. He completed high school at St Peter’s College in Adelaide, before obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Adelaide in 1995 and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Melbourne the following year. Afterwards, Gillon completed the famed Senior Executive Program at Stanford University. After graduating from university, Gillon worked as a management consultant for Accenture.

Gillon joined the AFL in May 2000 as a strategic planner and was appointed General Manager Commercial Operations in November 2003 before taking on the additional areas of broadcasting and major projects in 2006. He was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer in 2008 with responsibility for AFL broadcasting and digital media, fixturing, venue agreements and stadia infrastructure. Gill was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer in December 2012 and Chief Executive Officer (replacing Andrew Demetriou) on April 30, 2014.

As CEO, Gillon played a key role in the last AFL Media Rights Deal which was the largest in Australian sporting history, the establishment of AFL Media and the establishment of the two expansion clubs: Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney.

Along the way, Gillon has turned down several CEO positions with over rival sporting codes and clubs, including the NRL and even Liverpool F.C. in the English Premier League.